Winter slitting and rolling the greens 11/02/15

(Ben millson assistant greenkeeper & Joshua mccallum first assistant)

Slitting: The slitting aeration technique (using triangular blades to create lots of short, narrow, close slits) is particularly useful in the winter come spring. To help "connect" the surface of the soil with the underlying drainage layers, though it has shortcomings in its ability to solve compaction problems. Also, because of a slitting machines light weight, it can be used during periods of long cold and showery spells, when other types of aerification are not possible.

Oil change on the 8800 rough mower + a dusting of snow.

 (Deputy course manager John Quinn & Assistant greenkeeper Henry Connolly) 

A morning dusting of snow at the sheds 05/02/2015

Winter buggy servicing

Cold frosty winter mornings, gives us time to do monthly maintenance checks on all our buggies, wash downs and fuel top ups.  (Tom our apprentice) carrying out these monthly checks.

More SNOW!!! 3/2/2015

 This mornings course walk checking for any damage from the snow and urban activity.

Looking back down the 13th.

Guess the hole?

Comment below?!

Scenic photos from 2014-January 2015

 Looking over the 10th.

 9th woods.

Brushing 9th hole.

 Course walk snow settling on the 1st. 31/1/2015

Fog descending over the 2nd. 

The recent wet weather may have put a temporary halt on operations on the course, but, this gives us a chance to catch up on machinery maintenance. Above a set of gang mowers have been stripped down, serviced and are being re-sprayed.

Cutting cylinders being reground...

Tee markers and benches have been dried! sanded down and stained..

During occasional dry periods, we have been able to get out onto the course. Above the greenstaff are planting approx 50 ash trees to the right of the 2nd hole...

Just recently we were able to try out our new core harvester.. we have hollow cored all the greens and tees and the purchase of the core harvester means we can carry out this operation much quicker and cleaner leaving less disruption to the golfers...